This July, Be the Match July is African American Bone Marrow Awareness Month. Many African Americans fighting diseases like sickle cell anemia, leukemia and lymphoma can’t find marrow donors. Patients are most likely to match with a donor who shares a similar racial or ethnic background and only 7 percent of the 8 million potential donors on the national registry are African American. African American Bone Marrow Awareness Month is a push to diversify the registry. | | Join Today If you are between the ages of 18 and 60 years old, in good overall health and willing to donate to a patient in need, you can join the registry online right now. Your information will be entered into the Be The Match Registry ®.
You can also join in person at a marrow drive, which is often hosted by a donor center or recruitment center. Steps to joining the registry: A Be The Match Registry® representative will contact you if your tissue type matches a patient needing a life-saving transplant. However, before you can donate your bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells, you will: - Complete a questionnaire about your health history, provide your contact information, and sign an agreement to join the registry.
- Give either a swab of cheek cells or a blood sample for tissue typing.
- Consider other ways to help such as volunteering, making a financial gift to the Be The Match Foundation®, or coordinating a drive.
More information about donating marrow. Join the Registry Today |
July 14, 2011 - HHS announces new investment in school-based health centers
June 06, 2011 - HRSA Guide for HIV/AIDS Clinical Care now available online
June 06, 2011 - New Affordable Care Act support to improve care coordination for nearly 200,000 people with Medicare
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